WATCH: Tough Mudder Clothesline

Caught up in Electroshock Therapy

A participant in a Tough Mudder event in Buffalo got a bit of a shock when he clotheslined himself on an electrified wire partway through the race. The unidentified competitor was running through the field of wires, some of which carry up to 10,000 volts, in the Electroshock Therapy obstacle when one became tangled around his neck, pulling him to the ground.

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Scientist Explains Mammoth Cloning

Could use stem cells from tissue

The scientist behind the first cloned animal has laid out how DNA from a preserved carcass could lead to the rebirth of the extinct wooly mammoth.

Sir Ian Wilmut, whose team cloned Dolly the sheep in 1996, said that while traditional cloning procedures, which require hundreds of eggs from a closely related species, would be unlikely to work with a mammoth, scientists might be able to reprogram cells recovered from a carcass to create stem cells, which in turn can be coaxed into forming eggs.

In an article on British science journalism site The Conversation, Wilmut cautioned that even if science could bring the mammoth back, there would be ethical issues to contend with.

In all of these discussions it is necessary to consider the welfare of the animals. Mammoths lived in cold climates, whereas their current relatives including potential surrogate mothers live in warmer regions.

It would be essential to provide mother and clone with the appropriate environment of temperature, moisture and diet. It would almost certainly be necessary to keep the animals in captivity, so it would be essential to provide as interesting an environment as possible. Ideally this should include other elephants, mammoths or hybrids to provide social interaction for the animal.

According to The Guardian, Researchers will have plenty of time to consider these issues: Wilmut thinks it's unlikely that they'll perfect the techniques required to resurrect the mammoth for another 50 years.

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Photo: visceralimage/Shutterstock.com

Florida Panhandle Facing a Bear Crisis

More animals have been spotted in recent months

Black bear encounters are on the rise in the Florida Panhandle, with 100 more sightings than usual this year, according to officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. With more bears about and construction encroaching on their habitat, officials plan to hold a workshop to teach residents how to safely live alongside their four-legged neighbors.

Officials hope to reduce the number of bear-human interactions by keeping the animals away from populated areas and in the woods. But they need to persuade people to stop inadvertently feeding—and attracting the animals.

“And, the biggest thing is garbage. I mean, we put garbage out scraps of food out onto the curb and we leave it unattended," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist Barbara Almario told WFSU. "So, the best thing people can do is to learn how to secure that garbage until the day of their garbage pick-up.”

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